1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vending machine and distribution management system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional vending machine and distribution management system, a distributor periodically goes around the sites where vending machines are installed by a transportation vehicle loaded with all kinds of merchandise it deals in, to check the inventory on the sites and supplement merchandise.
However, according to such conventional vending machine and distribution management system, there have been drawbacks in that a distributor cannot supplement, procure and produce merchandise promptly because it cannot grasp the status of sales and inventory of a vending machine on a real time basis and, in addition, it has to go around vending machines with all the merchandise it deals in loaded on a transportation vehicle because it cannot get information in advance on which merchandise needs to be supplemented.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine enabling a distributor to grasp the status of sales and inventory on a real time basis in view of the above drawback of the prior art.
In addition, according to a conventional vending machine, a customer has to look at a sample of merchandise, etc. because he/she cannot recognize a merchandise to be sold by just looking at the appearance of the vending machine.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine enabling a customer to recognize a merchandise sold by just looking at the appearance of the vending machine in view of the above drawback of the prior art.
Further, with a conventional vending machine, a customer's purchase volition cannot be aroused unlike a manned counter sale.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which can arouse purchase volition of a customer in view of the above drawback of the prior art.
Moreover, with a conventional vending machine, data to be the basis of marketing cannot be obtained because the taste of a customer purchasing a merchandise is unknown unlike a manned counter sale.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine enabling a distributor to investigate the taste of a customer purchasing a merchandise in view of the above drawback of the prior art.
Furthermore, with a conventional vending machine system, when a customer finds a merchandise he/she wishes to purchase is out of stock, he/she cannot get information on where a transportation vehicle for supplementing th merchandise runs.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a distribution management system enabling a customer to know the running position of a transportation vehicle loaded with supplemental merchandise in view of the above drawback of the prior art.